FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 15, 2024
Contact:
Adrieanna Norse
AAFP Public Relations
anorse@aafp.org
LEAWOOD, Kan. – Family medicine welcomed nearly 4,600 future family physicians this week. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) congratulates all who matched into family medicine.
Results from the 2024 National Resident Matching Program® Main Residency Match (NRMP) indicate that this will be the largest class of incoming family medicine residents in history, with 4,595 medical students and graduates matching into family medicine residency programs. This year, family medicine offered 5,231 residency positions,124 more than in 2023.
“Family medicine is unique because our lives are intertwined with our patients. We treat entire families and communities—children, parents and grandparents. Our patients become part of our family and we become part of theirs,” said Steven P. Furr, MD, FAAFP, president, AAFP. “I am incredibly proud of all the students and graduates who matched into family medicine this year and celebrate their pursuit of our specialty, which is an essential part of our health care system.”
Match Day is a milestone for medical students as they prepare to complete their medical degrees and transition into graduate training in a medical specialty. On Match Day, medical students and graduates find out where they will go for residency training after years of exploring specialties during medical school, months of interviewing at residency programs and, finally, submitting a ranked list of their preferred programs to the NRMP.
“The next generation of family physicians are trailblazers and will enter health care at a time of rapid change and will lead the way to revitalize primary care. I believe they are strongly positioned to meet the unique health care needs of the communities they will serve,” said R. Shawn Martin, executive vice president and chief executive officer, AAFP. “The future of family medicine is bright. I am inspired by this generation’s commitment to improving access to affordable, equitable health care across our country. The AAFP stands firmly in their corner, ready to serve as a resource, a guide and an advocate as they begin this next chapter of their medical careers.”
Access to a family physician has been linked to lower health care costs, longer and healthier lives and higher patient satisfaction. The Match is an important reminder that family physicians are the pillars of their communities—in areas large and small, rural and urban. Students and graduates choose family medicine because it allows them to follow a passion for community-oriented care and form lifelong relationships with entire families. Family medicine also weaves together their interests in more than one clinical focus area to care for patients holistically and advocate for their patients and communities to make a difference.
“Understanding what our patients and communities need is what family physicians do best. The AAFP welcomes all our new family physicians, and we are eager and excited to join them in their medical journey, support them where they need us and celebrate every milestone along the way,” said Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, senior vice president, education, inclusiveness and physician well-being, AAFP. “When I see more and more people choosing family medicine during Match, I see people choosing to invest in the health of our world.”
A full 2024 Match analysis, along with graphs and additional information, will be available this afternoon on the AAFP Match Day 2024 resource hub. Video interviews are also available for broadcast use.
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About American Academy of Family Physicians
Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 130,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits — that’s 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America’s underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine and the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, visit www.aafp.org. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s consumer website, www.familydoctor.org.